I Picked Up an Abandoned Villain in the Polar Region

Episode 109

 

“That name sounds familiar.”

Walter Alcamon muttered as he tilted his head, looking Brody over.

The name rang a bell, something he’d heard in a recent report—a rabbit named Brody. Then it clicked:

“…The eldest son Alexander exiled through the magic gate a few months ago? Apparently, he came back recently.”

Ah, that was it.

It had been part of the news from a neighboring village. An amusing detail that stuck with him.

With a refreshed expression, Walter glanced at Brody and remarked.

“So, you’re that rabbit? The one that brat Kyle Roden brought along?”

The messenger had mentioned Kyle introducing the rabbit as his girlfriend, but anyone familiar with Kyle wouldn’t buy it.

A proud man like him wouldn’t risk ridicule by claiming a herbivore as his partner.

“Come to think of it, that brat came to Avril last night with Erbe’s leader. Did you tag along with them?”

“…”

Brody wasn’t shocked that he knew about her but was more irritated by his constant use of “brat” to describe Kyle.

“Could you stop calling him that? If you know about me, then you also know I am his girlfriend.”

Brody said proudly.

Walter gave her a skeptical smile.

“You’re not really his girlfriend.”

“I am his real girlfriend!”

Brody shouted, flustered.

Before Walter could respond, a loud, fierce voice echoed through the chamber.

“Brody!”

 

***

 

One hour earlier, chaos had erupted in Avril when news broke that Brody had vanished.

Kyle, frantic, searched the area near the mountains where traces of Brody’s fur were found, eventually crossing into Alcamon’s territory.

Fortunately, Brody was in the midst of molting, leaving a trail of fur clumps for him to follow.

Kyle knew Alcamon’s mountains were accessible even without the black bears’ permission.

Unlike the lions, tigers, or wolves in the area, the black bears had little interest in territorial disputes and maintained a reputation as reluctant pacifists.

But everyone understood their strength was the real reason others didn’t provoke them.

Following the trail, Kyle was torn between worry that Brody had been kidnapped and hope that she’d wandered there out of curiosity.

His search led him to the cave of Alcamon’s leader, where the trail abruptly ended.

“Why here…?”

Kyle muttered, confusion written all over his face. As he prepared to enter, two black bears casually appeared.

“Well, look who it is—the Roden heir,” one bear drawled.

“Here to pay your respects to our leader? How polite,” the other mocked.

Kyle clenched his teeth, his anger bubbling.

“Move. I’m here for someone.”

The bears exchanged amused glances before stepping aside.

“Go on in. While you’re at it, say hi to our leader.”

Grumbling curses under his breath, Kyle hurried inside.

The laughter of the bears behind him only fueled his irritation.

Navigating the cave, he followed Brody’s scent to the chamber where he spotted her—standing with Walter Alcamon, mid-conversation.

“Brody!”

Kyle called out, rushing to her side.

Brody flinched at his sudden appearance, her face a mix of surprise and guilt.

Walter, however, greeted Kyle warmly.

“Kyle! Long time no see.”

Kyle ignored him, his attention solely on Brody.

“What happened? Why are you here?”

He looked her over, relieved to see she wasn’t harmed, before glaring at Walter.

“Did you do this? Did you drag her here?”

Walter waved a hand dismissively.

“Relax. She came here on her own. Actually, she brought my runaway son back.”

“What nonsense are you spouting now?”

Kyle turned to Brody for clarification, his eyes demanding answers.

Brody hesitated before explaining meekly,

“I… ran into his son when I went to get water. He said he ran away, so I brought him back myself. I came here on my own.”

Hearing this, Kyle felt a wave of relief—she hadn’t been kidnapped or mistreated.

But that didn’t mean he wasn’t angry.

He glared at Brody with an intensity that could have burned her alive. Yet, something in her earlier words caught his attention, and his brow furrowed.

“Wait. You said you went to get water and saw his son? Does that mean his son was in Avril?”

Kyle hadn’t received any reports about this.

Before Brody could answer, Walter Alcamon stepped in.

“That’s right. My son ran away to your territory. I heard he even raided some beehives while he was there. Hope you can let it slide—we’re running low on beehives in these mountains.”

Unlike Alcamon’s mountains, where rules were loose, the valleys of Roden had strict territorial laws.

Unauthorized camping, let alone raiding beehives, was illegal.

Walter’s brazen attitude was not something Kyle was inclined to overlook.

Kyle’s cold glare bore into Walter, who, sensing the tension, raised his hands in a placating gesture.

“Alright, I’m sorry. There, happy now?”

“Not even close.”

Kyle replied icily.

“I’ll be bringing this to the council for formal review. Be prepared to respond.”

As Kyle turned away with Brody in tow, Walter clicked his tongue.

“Still as temperamental as ever.”

Kyle, predictably, ignored the remark.

“Can I at least say goodbye to Shanikah?”

Brody asked urgently, spotting the young bear waking up in his father’s arms after all the commotion.

Kyle gave her an exasperated look but relented, granting her five minutes.

Brody rushed to Shanikah, kneeling to speak softly so only he could hear.

“Shanikah, if you ever feel upset with your dad, promise me you won’t run away again. Instead, cry or shout at him—anything to let him know how you feel. Your dad’s the kind of person who’ll listen if you do. Okay?”

The little bear nodded earnestly, absorbing her words.

After saying her goodbyes to Shanikah, Brody turned to Walter.

“Take care, Miss Rabbit. I owe you one for today. Hopefully, I can repay you someday.”

“There’s no need to repay me,” she replied with a smile.

“Just take good care of Shanikah.”

Walter rested a hand on Shanikah’s head, glancing at his son’s hopeful gaze.

“I’ll do my best.”

Brody chuckled softly, a quiet wish in her heart was made for him to keep his promise.

With that, she finally returned to Kyle, who, having reached the end of his patience, grabbed her by the nape and dragged her off like a misbehaving kitten.

Walter watched them leave and chuckled under his breath.

Looks like they really are a couple. 

The prejudice he’d shared with others—believing Kyle Roden would never date a rabbit—crumbled in that moment.

 

***

 

On their way back to Avril, after promising Kyle she’d never disappear without notice again (complete with a figurative “paw stamp”), Brody recounted the day’s events.

“So, black bear men live separately from their kids? I didn’t know that. It’s surprising they don’t form attachments.”

“It’s their animal instincts showing through,” Kyle explained curtly.

“Male black bears sometimes kill their cubs in the wild, either out of aggression or to mate with the mother. To protect their young, the mothers keep the males away. Even as beastfolk, those old habits linger. But these days, not all black bears are like that. It’s just that sleazebag’s family that’s particularly indifferent to their kids.”

Kyle clicked his tongue in irritation.

“Honestly, people like him shouldn’t have kids. All they do is hurt them.”

“Is that so?”

Brody murmured, her expression thoughtful. Then, glancing at Kyle, she asked tentatively.

“So, if you had kids, would you care about them?”

Though her question felt like a subtle prompt, Kyle seemed oblivious. He shot back,

“Of course! If I had a kid, I’d only have one, so I could focus all my attention on them. That way, they wouldn’t feel unloved or neglected. Don’t you think that’s better?”

“Pfft!”

Brody couldn’t hold back a laugh, covering her mouth too late.

Kyle stopped in his tracks, scowling. “What’s so funny?”

Still giggling, Brody replied,

“It’s just surprising. You once told me that kids are nothing more than successors, remember? You were so cold about it back then.”

Kyle froze, her words striking a chord.

He had indeed said that—and now, here he was, passionately declaring he’d be the best father.

Brody’s observation left him visibly flustered, his face stiffening as he processed the realization of his own transformation.

I always read NU’s reviews, so I would like to thank the sweet people who wrote such detailed and positive reviews on this novel. It’s really appreciated and I am extremely flattered ☺️